Politics

Sen. Mike Lee: Tea Party, Conservatives Are ‘Lifeblood of the Republic’

Posted on July 25, 2012 at 4:37pm by Tiffany Gabbay
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On Thursday, July 26, thousands of conservative activists will gather at the American Airlines Center in Dallas for the first annual FreePAC, which is organized by FreedomWorks and held in conjunction with Glenn Beck’s highly anticipated Restoring Love event.

Tea Party members, politicians and pundits alike will be in attendance to speak before the crowd and share their “blueprint” for continuing the “Hostile Takeover of Washington, D.C. that began during the 2010 midterm elections.” A grassroots training session will also take place, geared toward providing the next generation of conservative and Libertarian leaders with the tools needed to be effective advocates for limited government, personal responsibility and liberty.

What is perhaps most exciting about FreePAC is its stellar lineup of speakers, each of whom are sure to empower activists seeking to restore the Republican Party back to its small-government roots. The dynamic group includes Glenn Beck, Tea Party-favorite Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Texas U.S. Senate candidate Ted Cruz. FreedomWorks Chairman Dick Armey and FreedomWorks President Matt Kibbe will also speak.

TheBlaze caught up with several of these dynamic leaders to get their take on the current political landscape and explain why events like FreePAC and Restoring Love are of vital import to the conservative movement, to reclaiming the White House in 2012, and to restoring the values that America was founded upon.

Matt Kibbe

A frequent guest of the Glenn Beck Program, FreedomWorks president Matt Kibbe is an economist by trade and is also a well-respected author and national public policy expert. In an exclusive interview with TheBlaze, the FreedomWorks leader of 15 years explained why it is important that conservatives rally to elect Mitt Romney — especially in battleground states — despite some of the differences they may share with the GOP nominee. He also took time to talk about the new, rising stars of the Republican Party, the challenges facing conservatives leading up to 2012, and what lessons he hopes activists will take away from FreePAC.

Because repealing Obamacare is of utmost importance to all those who favor limited government, Kibbe said that there are things people can do at the legislative level — particularly through the budget reconciliation process — to dismantle Obamacare one step at a time. “It makes winning the senate all the more urgent,” he said.

“Justice Roberts sent everyone a wake-up call,” Kibbe added. “If you want to save your country, the burden lies with you.”

Kibbe explained that the portion of Roberts’ decision in which he explains why it is not his role to make “policy judgements” is, in essence, a way of goading conservatives into action. Roberts qualified that the job is is up to elected leaders who “can be thrown out.” In other words, a hint to conservatives to start making wise choices, and perhaps even, “clean house” when necessary.

While Kibbe does not believe the Chief Justice did his job, he believes Roberts was truly saying that the American people need to stand up and take action.

“That’s been the message of the Tea Party since day one…and it’s the same message as the Founders: Freedom rests with the people.”

“If you want to see where the fight for liberty will take you you have to come to FreePAC.”

While discussing the movement’s rising stars, Kibbe explained how the Tea Party has created a “freedom caucus” including Pennsylvania Senator Pat Toomey, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, Florida Congressman Connie Mack, Ohio State Treasurer Josh Mandel, Arizona Congressman Jeff Flake and others. Kibbe qualified that many if not all are from states that went blue in the 2008 election.

This is really “strategic positioning for the Tea Party agenda.”

FreePAC hopes to achieve electing and re-electing about getting people involved in tangible ways. The event will teach activists what they can do to to organize their respective communities, as well as provide ideas on how to “take back the cultural space” of movies and popular culture. This theme is also important to Glenn Beck, who has dedicated an entire portion of Restoring Love to “creating” through art, music and film. Today, liberal Hollywood cannot be the only players in the game when it comes to shaping public opinion. Conservative authors, musicians and filmmakers also have a voice and one that needs to be promoted in order to effect positive change.

As our conversation veered toward the Tea Party, Kibbe spoke about just how “widespread and sophisticated” the movement truly is. It is far more “than a protest group.” Nothing illustrates this point better than the fact that representatives from 30 countries from around the globe will be in attendance at FreePAC.

“It is no longer a U.S.-centric movement.” Tea Party activists from Greece, Italy, Japan, Israel, Australia and beyond are being inspired by their American counterparts and seek to make the same kind of difference in their home-countries.

“We learn from folks in Tel Aviv and they learn from folks in Indiana,” Kibbe told me during the interview.

While the Tea Party is indeed proving to be a formidable force on the political stage, the movement is bound to face challenges in 2012, particularly with voter fraud, which Kibbe believes will prove to be an issue this coming election season.

Kibbe cedes that voter fraud will never be able to be stopped in its entirety, but that it can be thwarted in measurable ways. “Cheating happens behind closed doors and we need to make sure that anyone who wants to steal votes are hindered as much as possible.”

The FreedomWorks president will also speak about the “hostile takeover” of America — an analogy he uses to describe how the Left is co-opting the country today. “This is when senior management attacks shareholders who are trying to impose accountability,” he explained.

Kibbe believes that so many of our nation’s leaders have lost accountability because small government conservatives believed they could trust the politicians they elected. But the “corrupting forces” made those lawmakers forget to whom they are accountable.

At the end of the day, FreePAC is not just about motivating activists to find “a better president” or better Congressmen, it’s about the momentum and steps individual, liberty-driven citizens must take on November 7th — not just November 6th.

Senator Mike Lee

Utah Senator Michael “Mike” Lee has been a constitutional lawyer in Utah and Washington, D.C, in addition to serving as a clerk for then-Judge Samuel A. Alito, Jr. The Tea Party-favorite, who believes Congress’ power to borrow must be curbed, will speak at FreePAC about the need to introduce a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.

“It’s too easy for government to expand otherwise,” Lee told me in an exclusive interview.

Likening Americans to the frog that has been dropped in the “proverbial pot of boiling water,” Lee discussed the biggest challenges facing conservatives today. The change may have come on gradually, but now that America’s eyes have been opened “we need to make sure that we don’t lose it [awareness] and become complacent.”

“We have to stay focused on the [founding] principles and if we do, we will be able to achieve lasting change.”

Lee also believes that the recent Supreme Court ruling on the Affordable Care Act — affectionately dubbed Obamacare — was a “surprising and devastating blow to the cause of Federalism.” He believes that while small-government conservatives have the potential to make lemonade out of the pile of lemons they have been handed, the Supreme Court made clear that it is willing to fix legislation “to the point of re-writing it” in order to save a bill. This, to Lee, is an example of “extreme deference” to Congress.

Perhaps Chief Justice Roberts’ decision will serve as a catalyst for those who may have otherwise been uninvolved in the political process, to get out the vote in 2012. In any case, Lee is cautioning that Democrats will take on the upcoming election cycle with fervor and with a “sophisticated ground game.” Still, he believes that it is conservative activists who are the “lifeblood of the Republic.”

It was they who battled [British] tyranny…and to helped us to be become independent. It will be activists who help us restore limited government.”

Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey
The liberty movement in America today comprises people of all races, creeds and generations. From young, rising conservative stars to veteran limited-government champions like Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey, who serves as chairman of FreedomWorks. The Contract with America co-author took time out to speak with TheBlaze about his passions: lower taxes, less government, and more freedom.

Armey, whose goal is to help those at the grassroots level “win elections and steer public policy” away from Obamacare and other leftist policies, believes that the you “can’t count on the GOP to reform [itself].” Thus, he is committed to helping “reliable” conservatives seek office. For Armey, and many in the movement, one such reliable, small-government conservative is Texas congressional hopeful Ted Cruz, who is also slated to make an appearance at FreePAC.

“The grassroots just want to be left alone by government,” he said.

Armey is, above all, practical, which is why he says FreePAC will be focus heavily on training today’s activists — providing them with the techniques, guidance and tools needed to organize and grow the movement effectively.

The free-market stalwart also believes there is “good, healthy cross pollination” between Glenn Beck’s Restoring Love and FreePAC because “the values are the same among both groups.”

“Obama is contemptuous of our values,” Armey explained to me during the interview. “We feel a tremendous sense of urgency… and I am fearful of what the consequences will be if we don’t get involved.”

“We can have a Congress dominated by freedom fighters and a person in the White House who is responsive to that.”

A limited number of tickets for Restoring Love are still available for purchase here.

Back to The Blaze »

Comments (44)

qpwillie
Posted on July 26, 2012 at 6:49am
Did you ever notice how anything that might hurt 0bama’s chances of winning sends the Paulbots into a tizzy?

Think about it.
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- Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve
  Posted on July 26, 2012 at 9:52am
  Did you ever notice that GOP zombies never really reconcile that what they say and who the vote for are two very different things? I do. Being conservative/libertarian GOP.
  Report Post »
- justangry
  Posted on July 26, 2012 at 12:55pm
  @Robardian, There’s another one of those binary thinkers that calls us “bots”. They deal in absolutes. It’s either this or that. 1 or 0… R or D… I don‘t think we’re going to change them. They’ve been programmed to well by the one party system. We just have to be satisfied being a part of the remnant until this whole thing collapses. Keynesian Neoconservative Globalist Statist Loyalist pieces of trash will never change.
  Report Post »
cykonas
Posted on July 26, 2012 at 5:58am
The national Tea Parties, like Kibbes’ group, will convince me that they are serious when they disassociate themselves with the establishment R party. The vast majority of the R’s are progressives and they are heavily invested in maintaining the status quo.

Most of the Tea Party folks in my local group, and from other local groups that I’ve met at regional rallies are not Republicans and they are not conservatives. True they do hold some views that are in line with modern conservatism, but they are really mostly libertarian.

I salute Glenn and the others involved for really trying to make a difference. But I’ll not be a part of it as long as they are endorsing Governor Romney. He’s a Progressive Maximus.
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soybomb315
Posted on July 25, 2012 at 8:47pm
Tea Party and lifeblood are the life of the republican party? Wow, you would never know it by looking at their presidential candidate. I see no reprieve in the progressivism that is ruining this country
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- Passerby
  Posted on July 25, 2012 at 9:21pm
  Yeah man, the governor of the most liberal state in America. That or Hussein, that’s our choice.
  
  Patsies. Blind lemmings. Sheep.
  Report Post »
- Detroit paperboy
  Posted on July 25, 2012 at 9:45pm
  True, but I ll take the businessman over the community agitator……any day.
  Report Post »
- BV FROM TX
  Posted on July 26, 2012 at 1:05am
  He did not say the lifeblood of the republican party. He said lifeblood of the Republic.
  Report Post »
- Meyvn
  Posted on July 26, 2012 at 8:48am
  Just so you know SoyBoy… BOTH PARTIES sicken me.
  
  TEA
  Report Post »
Meyvn
Posted on July 25, 2012 at 8:39pm
Brothers: Stand tall. Stand firm. May the Lord be with us.
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- Meyvn
  Posted on July 25, 2012 at 8:44pm
  and Sisters! ;-)
  Report Post »
- MCDAVE
  Posted on July 25, 2012 at 10:05pm
  NEVER Surrender Your Firearms…We are about to be tested
  Report Post »
CrismaFire
Posted on July 25, 2012 at 8:16pm
The Tea Party IS the most powerful and numerous group in America and the best armed. We stand on principals and scruples. Libs stand on selfishness and wickedness. We absolutely will win. Psalms 37:12,13. The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; but the Lord laughs at the wicked for he knows their day is coming.
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- Passerby
  Posted on July 25, 2012 at 8:28pm
  So, you figure the Tea Party is some kind of true blue Conservative Republican, the opposite of a liberal Democrat?
  Report Post »
- Brother Winston Smith
  Posted on July 25, 2012 at 8:34pm
  Psalms 37:12,13? Sounds more like the GOP and the FAKE-TEA GOP’s treatment of republican candidate Ron Paul.
  Report Post »
Passerby
Posted on July 25, 2012 at 6:48pm
The Tea Party is crushed, obliterated. The Republicans, Democrats and Media all saw it in their interest/agenda to pretend the Tea Party is some kind of true blue Republican. A sort of extreme Republican.

We were NOT Republicans. We made that crystal clear. The Republican congress had just got caught with the Foley Republican Congressional Homosexual Child Molesting Ring. (For starters.)

The totally insane deficit was probably more important than anything and the Republicans could care less about that. Got other priorities for their foreign masters that could care less about impoverishing America and her children.
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- MCDAVE
  Posted on July 25, 2012 at 10:09pm
  Tea party is still here …And growing stronger
  Report Post »
- woodyee
  Posted on July 25, 2012 at 11:19pm
  The Left may have had success in defeating YOU as an individual, but tea party numbers are increasing nationwide, as the politically disenfranchised of all stripes and states surge to find a place where they can rest at ease amongst similar folks and fight the good fight, hand in hand.
  
  Come back.
  Report Post »
- LIBSALWAYSLIE
  Posted on July 26, 2012 at 2:13pm
  News Flash! The TEA party is alive and well and growing every day! Crushed? Not!
  Report Post »
- Leader1776
  Posted on July 26, 2012 at 4:42pm
  Not only is the TEA Party getting stronger, but in ONLY 3 1/2 years their influence in many elections has been remarkable. Again, only 3 1/2 years (as opposed to how long for the machine R‘s and D’s?).
  
  They put down their signs 2 years ago and started being their own force at a state and national level. By now the R machine figured the TP would have been co-opted as local politics have. Not so. Neither has the general infiltration of the TP by machine Rs.
  
  Some conservative (aka Republican) pundits become apoplectic at the thought of a viable three party system. Not to worry R’s ……… the direction you are heading, you will be lumped in with the D’s and a new second party will emerge ……. not for a few election cycles ……….. but with the growth of the TP if you don’t get back to founding principles ……. so long.
  Report Post »
chips1
Posted on July 25, 2012 at 6:41pm
Boing! Boing! Boing!! This story just hit the liberals in the stomach. They are coming out from everywhere. It’s like an infestation of cockroaches. They just hate Americans.
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The_Cabrito_Goat
Posted on July 25, 2012 at 6:28pm
Just try it, commie. We have you outgunned
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BlackCrow
Posted on July 25, 2012 at 5:43pm
For my fellow Texans

Send the RINOS a message. Get out and vote for Ted Cruz

For my local compatriots..Get out and vote for Dr. Donna Campbell

NOW!!!
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Brother Winston Smith
Posted on July 25, 2012 at 5:28pm
FAKE-TEA GOP dissected part 3

INDICATOR:
“The liberty movement in America today”
INDICATES:
There is a STRATEGIC REASON for the application of the word “liberty.” The FAKE-TEA GOP is currently wrestling with CO-OPTING the Liberty Movement too. CO-OPTING a movement begins with CO-OPTING it’s language. The Liberty movement is comprised of EX-tea partiers who REJECTED THE FAKE-TEA GOP CO-OPTING of the tea party. Ron Paul supporters make up the bulk of the Liberty Movement.

INSULTING NONSENSE PHRASE:
“lower taxes, less government, and more freedom.”
TRUTH:
This carefully crafted GIBBERISH phrase IS DESIGNED to be ambiguous and comfortably applied to ANYTHING republican.

FALSE:
“Armey, whose goal is to help those at the grassroots level “win elections and steer public policy””
TRUTH:
Dick (bless their illegal alien hearts) Armey’s SOLE OBJECTIVE, as is the FAKE-TEA GOP, is to PRESERVE THE LEFTIST ESTABLISHMENT GOP and DESTROY ANY ATTEMPTS to strengthen third parties.
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- BlackCrow
  Posted on July 25, 2012 at 5:39pm
  Go crawl back under your bridge.
  Report Post »
- justangry
  Posted on July 25, 2012 at 6:17pm
  Yeah Brother_Winston, You’re really ticking off the sexually repressed that actually like having their junk fondled by the TSA. :P
  Report Post »
- MeteoricLimbo
  Posted on July 25, 2012 at 6:51pm
  @Brother Winston Smith
  Liar liar pants on fire.
  God bless you Brother
  Report Post »
- woodyee
  Posted on July 25, 2012 at 11:21pm
  Dick Armey was a Republican wipe-wad…
  Report Post »
Brother Winston Smith
Posted on July 25, 2012 at 5:28pm
FAKE-TEA GOP dissected part 2

TRUTH:
“Glenn Beck, who has dedicated an entire portion of Restoring Love to “creating” through art, music and film.” Yes, JUST LIKE VAN JONES’S “heart space.”

IRONY:
“voter fraud, which Kibbe believes will prove to be an issue this coming election season.”
REPUBLICAN ELECTION FRAUD HAS MOLESTED A DOZEN STATE ELECTIONS and DELEGATE SELECTIONS SO FAR, AGAINST RON PAUL!!!!! And that’s ON TOP of the FAKE-conservative media BLACKOUT (election fraud)!

FALSE:
“Cheating happens behind closed doors and we need to make sure that anyone who wants to steal votes are hindered as much as possible.”
TRUTH:
FAKE-TEA GOPers HAVE DONE NOTHING TO FIGHT THE REPUBLICAN VOTER FRAUD THAT RON PAUL SUPPORTERS HAVE FACED FOR MONTHS.

TRANSFERENCE:
“hostile takeover”
TRUTH:
The FAKE-TEA GOP (Freedomworks, Tea Party Express) have conducted a “hostile takeover” of the REAL tea party, for the LEFTIST GOP.
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- chips1
  Posted on July 25, 2012 at 6:33pm
  Hey BROTHER!!! Why are you sweating? This scares you to death. Your Marxist politicians will soon be sent packing.
  Report Post »
- Brother Winston Smith
  Posted on July 25, 2012 at 6:57pm
  Actually, chips1, I’ve been voting Constitution Party for years with no luck. The marxist democrats and marxist republicans really have a stranglehold over America’s elections. And they will do ANYTHING to preserve their monopoly.
  Report Post »
- Jaycen
  Posted on July 25, 2012 at 9:24pm
  “They” – the big, bad bogey men are going to beam messages straight into Smith’s head.
  
  Listen, Smith has some really great points. Each one is on top of his head.
  Report Post »
Brother Winston Smith
Posted on July 25, 2012 at 5:27pm
FAKE-TEA GOP dissected part 1

FALSE:
“On Thursday, July 26, thousands of conservative activists will gather…”
TRUTH:
“REPUBLICANS” will gather.

FALSE:
“Tea Party members… will be in attendance”
TRUTH:
FAKE-TEA GOPers will be in attendance.

TRUTH:
“Matt Kibbe… explained why it is important that conservatives rally to elect Mitt Romney” Why? BECAUSE MATT KIBBE AND DICK ARMEY ARE FAKE-TEA GOPers.

FALSE:
“Tea Party has created a “freedom caucus”
TRUTH:
FAKE-TEA GOPers have created a “freedom caucus”… OF REPUBLICANS.

FALSE:
“strategic positioning for the Tea Party agenda.”
TRUTH:
This is the further CO-OPTING of the tea party agenda to TRANSFORM IT TO MATCH THE LEFTIST REPUBLICAN PLATFORM.
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vox_populi
Posted on July 25, 2012 at 5:12pm
If conservatives are the “lifeblood of the Republic,” then prepare to be exsanguinated, comrades.
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Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve
Posted on July 25, 2012 at 4:59pm
Are you kidding me? A congress full of freedom fighters? Led by John Boehner? Um yeah. John McCain? Uh huh. Romney? Really? They are all progressives. The GOP is progressive. These sicko’s are trying to glob onto the Tea Party movement now and then they go back to DC and mock you all in their back room deals. You (we, us) are a joke to them. It’s a game. They aren’t going to audit the fed, they aren’t going to end Obamacare, they won’t roll back the TSA, they won’t roll back government spying or drone usage. They won’t meaningfully cut spending or even begin to balance the budget. They have NO INTENTION to do this.

You (we) are all rubes for buying their bunk. It’s all variation of the same candidate!!! For Pete’s sake…we had 8 years of a big government, progressive Republican in Bush. The next nominee is a big government progressive in McCain. So we get beat by a big government, progressive (statist, communist) Democrat and the response is to send a big government progressive Republican up to bat. Then they treat you like morons by laying this garbage about freedom and prosperity and conservative principles on you like they aren’t who they are. Wake up Sheeple!!!!
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- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on July 25, 2012 at 5:09pm
  I do see your point, but all that you mentioned are far better than the likes of 0bama, Biden, Pelosi, Reid, Wassaman-Schultz, etc, etc, etc, etc!
  Report Post »
- Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve
  Posted on July 25, 2012 at 5:23pm
  How so? How are they better? Don’t go by what they say…what did they / do they DO that is better worse? Is that “far better”?
  
  Let’s just look at Obama vs. Bush
  
  War — They both seem to dig them.
  
  Taxes – Ok, Bush lowered them and Obama raised them. +1GWB
  
  Civil Liberties — GWB pooped on them and Obama made the poop permanent..even worse
  
  USSC– W John Roberts and Alito Obama Kagan and Sotamayor +.5 GWB…maybe not since it changes complexion of the court. Might be a GWB -.5
  
  Government Expansion — W Yes Obama Yes
  
  Deficit Spending — W Yes Obama Yes
  
  Transparency — W No Obama No
  
  Oration Skills Sans Teleprompter — W Poor Obama Poor
  
  Sketchy Backgrounds — W Yes Obama Yes
  Report Post »
3monkeysmomma
Posted on July 25, 2012 at 4:52pm
AUDIT THE FED just passed in the House 327 to 98!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Thanks for reporting on it Blaze, you guys are Johnny-on-the-spot as usual.)
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- Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve
  Posted on July 25, 2012 at 4:59pm
  and it won’t see the Senate floor. Enjoy your 30 seconds.
  Report Post »
- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on July 25, 2012 at 5:08pm
  Trouble is that it will never make it to the Senate floor.
  Report Post »
- 3monkeysmomma
  Posted on July 25, 2012 at 5:26pm
  Harry Reid just came out and said this wouldn’t be allowed to come to the floor for a vote.
  
  I’m not surprised, but given the overwhelming bipartisan support the bill has, I hope some people will begin to realize how messed up this all is.
  
  Blaze…helllo…report on this already!
  Report Post »
- Master_and_Commander
  Posted on July 25, 2012 at 5:42pm
  The Blaze already did a story on it, you moron
  Report Post »
- bobbyjoe
  Posted on July 25, 2012 at 5:45pm
  Momma ….blaze did at 3:33 , half hour before your complaint.
  Report Post »
- Jaycen
  Posted on July 25, 2012 at 9:23pm
  Master_and_Commander
  
  Hey, d-bag. Read her comment again with some context. She wasn’t complaining. Good lord.
  Report Post »

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